


X-09

by Catharctic



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Dance Group! AU, M/M, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-09-26 23:27:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9928790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catharctic/pseuds/Catharctic
Summary: Kyungsoo isn't quite sure why he's interested in dance, but he is. His parents will never understand, but he's never let them stop him before. Attending a dance class for the very first time cements this desire - especially once he meets a charismatic dancer by the name of Jongin.Week by week, the bond between the class grows stronger, and Yixing believes that they'll one day be ready to form a competitive dance group and enter tournaments across the country. Some would call it an unrealistic dream, but Yixing has always been an optimist.((Dance Group!AU to fill my needs for more of EXO dancing. The summary makes this fic sound very Kaisoo oriented, but the story will take the perspective from one side of each of the listed pairings throughout. I hope you enjoy!))





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is the second fic I'll be posting here - I hope that you'll enjoy reading it as much as I'll enjoy writing it!
> 
> Please be aware that the chapters will be alternating perspectives from three characters: Kyungsoo, Baekhyun and Chanyeol. Depending on how this goes, and how closely I stick to the original plot of this fic, the rating may change to M in later chapters.
> 
> Also, as this piece is dance-centred, feel free to recommend dance-friendly songs that you think would fit well with particular characters/scenes/etc! I find it quite difficult to find music that fits with what I'm trying to portray, so it would be interesting to see what comes to mind for other people when they read it instead!
> 
> Now, on with the fic!

* * *

  
  
  
“So... Why are you going again?”

  
  
“Because I want to.”

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t know why he’s bothering to sit through this conversation. They’ve been here time and time again - His mother will never understand nor accept that her son is interested in the performing arts.

 

Dance, to be specific.

 

He doesn’t really know why he is, either. His mother is a professor, his father a chef. Their professions have allowed him to be brought up in a household where the only type of job he should be aiming for is one with financial security and a good reputation within society. There’s no time for big dreams nearly impossible to reach. But here he is, dreaming big and wanting to retreat from this conversation into his room as soon as possible.

  
“Do you want to perform on a talent show or something?” She continues, talking between bites of her food as they sit at the dinner table that evening. Kyungsoo sighs, exasperated.

 

“Of course not. I just... Want to perform in general. Anywhere with an audience. Perhaps in a group.” He mumbles, eyeing the food on his plate. He’s gradually losing his appetite, along with his will to live, right now.

 

His mother considers this for a moment as she chews, the look on her face already telling Kyungsoo that she’s about to say something he doesn’t want to hear. Meanwhile, his father remains silent, eyes glued to his phone, presumably reading the news.

 

“Isn’t dancing more of a hobby? Are you sure you’re not just passionate about it as a pass time?” She hums thoughtfully, twirling her fork in her hand in a fashion that agitates Kyungsoo more than it probably should. “You’d be better as a lawyer - Even your tutor in college says you’re a fine example of someone who would succeed in law.”

 

“I remember.” He murmurs, feeling a lot more miserable now than he did at the start of the meal. “But I’m still going to this class. The advert said it was perfect for people my age, and they’re planning on entering competitions if we’re good enough.” He dares to look his mother in the eye. “Please, can you at least _pretend_ to be supportive of this? I really think this is what I want to do.”

 

His father snorts in disapproval before she can reply. His eyes don’t look up from their fixed position on the screen, but he continues as Kyungsoo grits his teeth in frustration. “You don’t even want to be a _singer_ \- at least there’s a slim chance you could get popular doing that. What on earth makes you think you’re going to get a decent career out of spinning about like an idiot?”

 

Kyungsoo would snap normally, but the conversation had become tiresome, and he’d rather just sleep until tomorrow, when he could leave the house and go to the dance class anyway. It wasn’t like he needed their approval, but some enthusiasm from - at the very least, his mother - would have been nice.

 

“Yeah yeah, okay. I get the picture.” He grunts, briskly excusing himself from the table and slinking off into his room. As he leaves, ignoring the call of his mother trying to coax him back, he can’t help mumbling under his breath.

 

_But you don’t. I’m going to do what I want and be what I want._

 

 

 

_##_

 

 

 

Kyungsoo is thankful that he arrives on time the next day. Following directions to the studio wasn’t terribly difficult, but there was always a chance to make a wrong turn, or for the car to breakdown, or to get into an accident...

 

‘ _Relax_ ,’ he scolds himself mentally, fingers flexing with anticipation as he parks just in front of the building, eyes scanning the entrance. It certainly looks a lot more impressive in person, and he has to admit it’s a little more intimidating now that he’s here. What if he’s the only one there who can’t dance properly?

 

“ _Relax_.” He tells himself again, aloud this time, determined to finish what he’d started. He hadn’t rebelled against his parent’s wishes just to turn tail and run away from the dance studio before he’d even stepped inside. This was what he wanted. Kyungsoo closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath.

 

Okay.

 

He exits the car as he exhales, locking up and rushing to the automatic doors before he has a chance to doubt himself again. One of his hands finds its way onto his bag strap, clutching it tight as he steps into the lobby.

 

Now that he’s inside, a receptionist is already welcoming him with a warm smile, and Kyungsoo swallows nervously as he approaches her. Everything seems so... _Professional._ He feels as though he’s not even worthy of walking on the carpet in this place.  
  
“Hi, hon. You’re looking for the new class, I take it?”

 

“That’s right,” He manages to reply, and he’s proud that he was able to speak without stuttering once. He still can’t bring himself to loosen the tight grip on his bag, though.

 

“Perfect! You can follow me back here and I’ll take you to your instructor.” She smiles again, and Kyungsoo is grateful, because it’s ever so slowly wearing away at the nervousness eating at him from the inside.

 

As they walk down the pristine hallway, white walls spotless and grey carpet muffling their footsteps below, his guide doesn’t speak or initiate conversation, and for that he appreciates her even more. He doesn’t think his mind would be capable of stringing together more than two words in a sentence at this point despite the friendly aura radiating off of her.

 

After a walk that doesn’t feel long enough for Kyungsoo, despite travelling the entire length of the corridor, the receptionist pauses abruptly at the final door and gives it a firm knock. Kyungsoo can just about see that it’s labelled ‘ _X-09_ ’ before she’s opening it wide, that cheerful little smile lifting her cheeks once again. She’s beckoning Kyungsoo through the very next moment, holding the door open for him until he passes by her, before calling out a small ‘ _have fun_!’ as she closes the door softly behind him. Kyungsoo made it to class, at least.

 

Except now he’s regretting his life choices, because there are suddenly six pairs of eyes scrutinising him from the opposite corner of the room.

 

 

##

 

 

Silence hangs thick in the air for a few more moments, but Kyungsoo _refuses_ to be the one to talk first. The tense moment is only broken once one of the men from the group _finally_ clears his throat and stands to full height, tiptoeing over to the intruder.

 

Kyungsoo first notes how tired the man looks, but is greeted with a genuine smile all the same. It’s different to the receptionist’s though - gentle, rather than bright and bubbly. Everything about him screams laid back and mellow, and even as he holds out his hand for a handshake, Kyungsoo can tell that he’s going to be someone he can get along well with.

 

“You’re Do Kyungsoo, yes?” The man confirms as they shake hands, his other hand coming up to enclose Kyungsoo’s completely in a warm embrace. He’s not one for human contact most of the time, but he has to admit the dancer leaves him with a good impression. He nods.

 

“It’s nice to meet you,” His smile widens a little, and he takes a step back. “I’m Yixing. I’m the dance instructor for this group. We spoke briefly on the phone when you booked your placement here.”

 

_Aha_. So he was the one that he’d spoken with already. Kyungsoo finally offers a timid smile of his own, and dares to glance across at the rest of the group, still sat in silence as they observe the conversation with apparent intrigue.

 

“I’m afraid I don’t have too much experience in dance,” He admits quietly after a moment, deciding that it must be safe to set his bag down at the side of the room, since everyone else has dumped their own there, too. He steps warily towards the back of the room. “That wasn’t a requirement for this class though, was it?”  
  
“Not at all.” somebody new blurts out, and the others gathered around him begin to laugh. Kyungsoo’s gaze focuses on him, and notices that he, too, also looks to be an incredibly kind character. Maybe he had nothing to worry about after all.

 

“I’ve been here for about four months now, and I’m still struggling,” the man admits sheepishly after a short pause, and Kyungsoo notices that his features are somewhat feline - his curved smile even follows the shape of a cat’s. He feels bad to admit it, but the fact that someone else might struggle just as much as he will relaxes him even further.

 

The same man eyes Kyungsoo curiously, and must suddenly realise he hasn’t properly introduced himself. “I’m Jongdae. I hope you’ll stick around to keep me company at the back of the group, Kyungsoo.”

 

And Kyungsoo even feels comfortable enough to laugh at this, nodding in agreement as another man pipes up to enthusiastically greet him the very next moment.

 

“Hey, I’m Baekhyun!” he chirps, raising an arm frantically in the air, smiling as the blonde individual sitting beside him attempts to pull his hand back down with a laugh. Kyungsoo nods to Baekhyun in acknowledgement, the smile still settled on his face from such warm greetings, but has no time to hear introductions from anyone else as Yixing starts playing music that thrums through the speakers spread out across the room.

 

“You’ll learn everyone’s names as we go through the session.” the tutor reassures Kyungsoo over the blare of the music, making his way to the opposite side of the room, stretching his arms out above his head. Around him, the group disperses until everyone has found their own space to warm up in, and Kyungsoo feels comfortable loitering at the back of the class for the time being.

 

Sure enough, Jongdae is nearby as promised, shooting a quick smile Kyungsoo’s way. He’s glad he’s found an acquaintance in one person here, at the very least. The thought of still being much less talented than the rest of the the group still nevertheless stirs inside of him as the beat of the music begins to pick up.

 

Yixing begins running through some simple stretches to prepare for dancing, something that Kyungsoo thankfully knows he can handle well enough. It also provides him with the perfect opportunity to examine the remaining members of the class yet to speak, as he’s situated behind all of them which ensures his staring would be left unnoticed.

 

They’re arranged in a triangle, he notes first of all. Three members - the three whose names Kyungsoo doesn’t know yet - stand directly in front of Yixing, and from the way they hold themselves and even how they perform the stretches, he can tell that they’re arranged based on ability. Behind them stands Baekhyun and Jongdae, who seem to be teasing one another and joking about something private rather than focusing on Yixing at the front. Now it’s _obvious_ they’re arranged by ability.

 

Being the ever-attentive student and newbie of the group, Kyungsoo supposes that he should be looking past the aloof duo in front of him and paying attention to the stretches instead; the last thing he needs is a torn muscle when he goes to college again next week.

 

He takes the plunge and begins to mirror the teacher, first working on his biceps and triceps, before moving swiftly onto his legs, feet tapping in time with the music. So far, so good. But the real dancing hasn’t even started yet.

 

He can hear Baekhyun humming along to the beat by now as he stretches, following the song with a voice Kyungsoo has to admit is nothing less than beautiful. In front of him, the blonde man that had sat next to Baekhyun before turns around to throw a wide grin his way, and nearby, Jongdae snorts playfully as the singing gets more elaborate. _They seem to be close friends_ , he decides thoughtfully to himself, and makes a mental note of that fact.

 

The other two individuals taking up the front row are still a mystery to Kyungsoo. He hasn’t even really had much of a chance to see their faces, especially now that they’re facing the opposite direction to where Kyungsoo is stood. It’s pretty amusing just to see how tall they look compared with the rest of the students though - himself included. Their only identifiable features as it stands happens to be the colour of their hair: The slightly shorter of the two has black hair, and the other is a platinum blonde. Kyungsoo can also assume that they probably take this class a lot more seriously than the rest of them, because they’re following Yixing’s every move both effortlessly and wordlessly.

 

But the warm-up doesn’t last forever, and Yixing is soon clearing them away to the sides of the room so that the centre is left open. Kyungsoo stands on one side with Jongdae and Baekhyun, rubbing his hands nervously. The uncertainty of the next activity leaves him anxious again, but feels somewhat assured once the tutor turns his back on the trio to face the other dancers.

 

“We’ll just check how your solo dances are going so far, first of all. I’m sure Kyungsoo would love to see what styles you guys are best at.” Yixing turns to throw him a smile, and Kyungsoo nods back keenly with a smile of his own. “Afterwards, we’ll continue with our group performance. Hopefully this will give you an idea of what you’ll be doing.”

 

Jongdae nudges him with an elbow, and Kyungsoo draws his attention away from Yixing running to the stereo to look at the other man instead. “These guys are seriously amazing - Especially Jongin. His dancing is something Baekhyun and I could only _dream_ of being able to do one day.” Baekhyun nods in agreement, but Kyungsoo notices his eyes are trained elsewhere.

 

So, Jongin was the name of another member of the group. Kyungsoo can’t ponder on who that is for long, because Yixing has suddenly swapped the tracks with something much faster, much louder, and _much_ more intimidating.

 

Yixing is still smiling as he turns back towards the group, arms crossed over his chest as the tallest of the opposing trio makes his way into the middle of the room. The expression on his face almost looks... _bored_ , as far as Kyungsoo can tell. He runs a hand through his platinum hair, pushing it away from his forehead as he braces himself for the music to drop. Kyungsoo watches intently, but jumps as the loud voice of Baekhyun unexpectedly punctuates the beat just as the dancer prepares his first move.

 

“Go Sehun!”

 

_Sehun_. The second he starts dancing, Kyungsoo is already seriously impressed. He moves like a machine, dances with precision, limbs seemingly detached from the rest of his body as they travel fluidly in time with the music without disturbing the rest of his posture. A far more complex version of a robot dance was the best way Kyungsoo could think of describing it as, keeping up with that relentless tempo in the background, that same neutral expression across his face even though a _lot_ of energy must be required to perform such a dance.

 

_This guy is a damn professional._

 

Time passes quickly watching such a talented performer, and Kyungsoo can already hear the music building up again for a second drop. Sehun is still dancing, but he notices the second blonde, the one Baekhyun and Jongdae seem to be closest with, fidgeting behind him. The beat changes as anticipated, and the two dancers swap places just in the right moment, and Baekhyun lets out a second cheer, Chen laughing alongside him.

 

“Yo, Minseok!”  
  
He’s moving immediately, and Kyungsoo is surprised that he can spot so many differences in the way that Minseok dances compared to Sehun already. Sehun’s dance held phenomenal control and timing, but Minseok never seemed to stop moving _at all_. His dance is energetic and bouncy, the way he jumps from one move into the next almost hypnotic. There’s even a slight smile plastered along his face as he dances, and Kyungsoo can almost _see_ the charisma dripping off of him as he matches the music perfectly.

 

_Yeah, so this guy is pretty amazing too._

 

Again, Kyungsoo senses the dance drawing to a close, but the tempo rushes on. Minseok is hopping backwards, and all at once, the final member of the dance trio takes his place, striding forward with assured steps that already promise a grand performance. It seems they saved the best till last.

 

“Hey, Jongin!”

 

And its in that very moment when Kyungsoo suddenly runs out of descriptive words.

 

Sehun and Minseok were undeniably incredible dancers. But this performance is _breathtaking_.

 

Jongin is powerful, confident, and very _very_ attractive. Kyungsoo stares as the performer moves, entranced by the way his arms move slowly one moment and much faster the very next. Entranced by the graceful movement of muscular legs, that somehow manage to keep perfectly in time with such a fast song, and by the swing of his hips as he spins and as he twists. It seems like there isn’t enough time to complete everything featured in the dance, but Jongin makes everything work flawlessly. He must have been doing this for _years_.

 

He’s glad that everyone else in the room seems to be just as attentive to Jongin, because Kyungsoo soon realises he’s been staring with an open-mouthed expression. Shutting it quickly, he swallows a little, and finds his eyes snapping back to watch the dancer again immediately.

 

He can’t help the disappointment he feels as the music eventually draws to a close, the final notes bringing the final dance moves along with it. Jongin ends in a crouched pose, perfectly still until the sound fades completely and the room is filled with sparse clapping - it would be a lot more impressive if there were more people than 6 people watching, Kyungsoo realises. Nevertheless, Jongin seems to appreciate the praise, bowing his head politely without a word and slinking off to stand by Sehun again.

 

“Well then!” Yixing clasps his hands together loudly to draw the group’s attention once more, stepping up to the front of the room and turning to face the rest of them. Everyone begins to move back into their spaces around the room at this point, arranging themselves in the same triangle as before.

 

“Let’s recap what we’ve practised so far so our newest team mate can catch up. Is that all right, Kyungsoo?”

 

_‘No_ ’ is the response that immediately comes to Kyungsoo’s mind. _Not now that I’ve seen how amazing at least half of this class is. This was such a mistake._

 

And yet... he isn’t entirely convinced by his own train of thought. He’d plucked up the courage to attend in the first place, discovered the people here seemed nothing less than friendly and welcoming, and found that one of the men in particular looked like a damned _god_ , especially whilst dancing. Plus, he was at the back of the room - no one but Yixing would see any mistakes on his part. He could do this - no, he _would_ do this.

 

He nods. “That’s fine.”

 

“Perfect!”

 

Yixing awards him with a thumbs up. Moments later, he’s taking the group through the dance moves step by step, breaking each section down into easy to follow moves that should be relatively straight forward to remember. Kyungsoo continues standing at the very back of the class, but is nonetheless eager to please.

 

And now, he knows it’s not just Yixing that he’ll be hoping to impress during the lessons.

 

 

##

 

 

For the most part, the class goes just as Kyungsoo had expected. Yixing would demonstrate a move, have the class copy it, then test it out with the music once they’d gone through enough of the routine. Clearly he wasn’t fantastic at it - he’d almost fallen over after attempting a spin, and it earned him a look of pity from Jongdae, which was one pitying look too many.

 

Fortunately enough, Jongdae did seem to dance at a similar standard. Heck, even Baekhyun was probably closer to Kyungsoo’s abilities than he was with the other three, who had obviously already perfected the moves from the times they had rehearsed this particular dance in the classes before.

 

They managed to get through the entire piece, though, and despite his lack of skill and technique in this art, that fact alone makes Kyungsoo feel accomplished.

 

They’re gathering their belongings and are getting ready to leave by now, the full, two-hour session complete. Yixing praises the group a couple times as many of the members exit the room, but is soon sliding over to Kyungsoo, currently tying his shoelaces.

 

“I’m definitely impressed with what I saw on your first day,” He comments thoughtfully. When Kyungsoo looks up, that kind smile is back on his face again, and he can’t do much else except return the expression.

 

“Thank you,” he replies softly. Perhaps his cool and distant exterior masks it, but he’s ever so thankful for the compliments. He doesn’t think that he’s met _anyone_ who’s proven to be as supportive as Yixing seems to be, and he’s more than happy to comply once a hand is held out to shake his own for the second time that day.

 

“I hope we’ll be seeing you here again?” The teacher asks, and Kyungsoo nods enthusiastically which earns him a gentle laugh.

 

“I’m glad to hear it. I think you’re going to get along great with everyone here.” Before he continues, Yixing’s eyes trail away from Kyungsoo, off towards the other side off the room.

 

“...You know, you seem like a quiet character, too. Jongin is pretty quiet himself. Maybe you two will have some things in common?” He hums loudly, and Kyungsoo follows the direction of Yixing’s gaze to find another figure still in the room, readying himself to leave.

 

Kyungsoo internally curses his own heart for skipping a beat.

 

Jongin laughs airily as he slings a bag over his shoulder. “I’m not always quiet,” he responds, taking a few steps towards Yixing and Kyungsoo that causes the latter to gulp involuntarily. “It just doesn’t seem like the dance class is the best place to socialise.”

 

Jongin turns his attention to Kyungsoo then, brandishing a smile just as warm as everyone else’s was, if not more so. There’s a bright glimmer in his eyes, too, and everything about him screams passion and determination. Kyungsoo suddenly can’t wait for next week’s lesson, and he hasn’t even left the practice room.

 

“It’s Kyungsoo, right? You did great today. I hope we get a chance to talk more next week.”

 

He simply nods at Jongin’s words, and it probably looks dumb, but he can’t bring himself to do anything else as he stares at the man in front of him. He’s practically _glowing_ from the workout. He’d admire him for longer, but the dancer is already walking away towards the door, waving a goodbye to the two remaining individuals in the room. Kyungsoo manages to wave back in response, just before the other slips out of sight behind the door frame, and he’s left alone with Yixing as he ties up his other shoe.

 

He says his own goodbyes to Yixing, thanking him for the tuition again, before making his own way out of the building and towards his car. He dares to look around before he gets in, frowning ever so slightly when he doesn’t catch sight of anyone - _someone_ \- nearby. He sighs, swiftly slips into his car, fastens his seat belt and begins the journey home.

 

Until next week, then.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is here! If some of this doesn't make sense/sounds absolutely terrible please forgive me - I wrote most of this at like 2AM rip

The following week passes by at an agonising pace, but Kyungsoo had only expected as much. Time often seemed to proceed much slower than usual when there was little to look forward to during college, and the constant barrage of questions concerning his future goals and career from both parents certainly wasn’t making things enjoyable at home, either. In truth, he didn’t know what to tell them; he knew he couldn’t spend the rest of his life working a side job as a kitchen assistant, but for now it was more than sufficient for him to pay for the essentials in his life.

 

Like dance class, for example.

 

Today was finally the day for Kyungsoo to have his second session, and admittedly he’d been looking forward to it more than anything else since he left the dance room at his first. Nerves which had manifested the last time had since returned, though it was to a much lesser extent - rather than fearing the automatic doors leading into the building this time around, the only hint of his anxiety is the way his hand grips tightly on his bag strap.

 

He manages to smile coolly as he passes the receptionist, and is proud of himself for striding down the corridor without somehow making a complete fool of himself (as far as he could tell). Normally it’d just be his luck to trip and stumble into the room whilst everyone looked on, and the thought of all those eyes watching him, laughing at him, makes him tingle with discomfort.

 

But he’s lucky today, and he walks in without incident, and finds that it’s not even six pairs of eyes focused on him once he enters the room this week. There are only three people currently sat in the corner of the room, smiling at Kyungsoo as he enters. To his dismay, he finds that Jongdae is not one of them, and even Yixing hasn’t arrived yet. He tenses a little as he approaches.

 

Thankfully, Baekhyun somehow senses his mood, and beckons him warmly towards the small circle with his hand. Kyungsoo hesitates, but soon caves in, setting his bag down against the wall as he did previously, before sitting beside the loud-mouth, who had since shimmied over to let him fit in between the trio.

 

“So, you _did_ come back!” He chirps, and Kyungsoo can’t help but wince at the volume of his voice. He nods anyway, which earns him an affectionate pat on the shoulder. It’s only now that he’s settled that he dares to take a quick glance at the other two dancers present: Sehun and--

 

_\--Ah._ Jongin looks just as handsome as Kyungsoo remembers. He’s smiling at nothing at particular by now, but his mind is wandering back to the end of last week’s lesson and the brief exchange between them. Maybe now they’ll get that chance to talk some more and get to know each other better.

 

He’s pretty sure at this point that Baekhyun can read his mind, because sure enough he’s asking Kyungsoo about himself - his likes and dislikes, career plans, hobbies - just seconds later. It takes a moment for him to register what he’s being asked, stunned by all the sudden questions, and realises to his surprise that both Sehun and Jongin are watching him with a look he can only assume is curiousity plastered across their faces.

 

He gulps a little. _I didn’t sign up for an interview._

 

“Honestly, I’m not really that interesting,” He finally admits, to which Baekhyun pouts at, obviously unsatisfied.

 

“I’m sure that’s not true. C’mon Kyungsoo, give us some details! Do you go to college? Have a job? What’s your favourite colour? _Anything_?”

 

Kyungsoo feels overwhelmed. Again.

 

Nevertheless, he sighs in defeat. “I do go to college - I’m a law student. I have a job working in a kitchen for now...” He pauses for a moment. “...And my favourite colour is black.”

 

He waits for a response, and the panic creeps back into his system when he’s met with a moment of silence. But soon somebody else is speaking up, and Kyungsoo snaps his head around to gaze at the owner of a vaguely familiar voice.

 

“You’re a law student? That’s so cool,” Jongin comments with a warm smile, those brilliant eyes still bright with genuine interest. Kyungsoo can’t tear his own eyes away from him, but notices Sehun nodding in agreement in the corner of his eye. His own smile widens, and he’s praying that there is _not_ a blush on his cheeks, despite how hot they feel. “It must be great having such a wide variety of interests, studying law but taking dance at the same time and all.”

 

This almost has Kyungsoo snorting, but instead he settles with another nod. “Thank you. It’s a lot of work--”

 

_Work that I don’t even care about. Work that I was forced to do by my pushy parents._

 

“--But I think I’m coping with it all. I’m definitely glad to be taking dance lessons now.”

 

That answer seems sufficient enough, and Kyungsoo is more than happy to see Jongin smiling at him again. Baekhyun makes a sound beside him akin to a laugh.

 

“Of course you are. Look at the gorgeous classmates you have now.” The rest of them laugh, and even Kyungsoo lets out a short chuckle, but all the while he can’t seem to move his eyes, glued to the sight of Jongin opposite him, who is currently swatting Baekhyun playfully on the arm.

 

_Well, you’re certainly not all wrong._

##

It only takes a few more minutes for Yixing and Minseok to show up, but they’re informed by the latter than Jongdae won’t be making an appearance this week. Kyungsoo frowns and can’t help but wonder why, but is nevertheless glad to finally start the actual process of dancing after hearing a multitude of awful jokes from Baekhyun just moments before.

 

They’re following the same process as before: warm-up, solo performances, group practice. He’s left just as breathless by the performance from Jongin, even if it was the exact same dance as before. Kyungsoo imagines that he’ll never get sick of the sight - the way he moves is flawless.

 

He has to admit, he takes the time to appreciate Sehun and Minseok, too. They don’t move in the same way as Jongin, but everyone has their style, he supposes. He even noticed the way that Baekhyun seemed to concentrate his attention towards the front of the class more today than before, and that his moves and posture seemed pretty impressive now that he’d had more time to admire it. Perhaps it was something to do with Jongdae’s absence - maybe they brought out the worst in each other when it came to focusing on the actual task of dancing.

 

But Kyungsoo also feels that he is just as deserving of praise. He can probably memorise a good portion of the dance without Yixing’s guidance by now, and even plucked up the courage to move away from the very back of the room to dance beside Baekhyun instead. He’d caught Baekhyun staring as they danced once or twice, and the thought of being watched threw him off a little, but towards the end of the session he felt comfortable enough in his abilities to assume he should take the attention as a compliment.

 

Yixing claps his hands once the song ends for the final time that day, and stops the music playing from the stereo. “Great job, as usual,” He hums, and his eyes scan over the performers, content. Kyungsoo bows his head in a brief thanks, and makes his way over to grab his belongings without another word.

 

He’s absorbed in the task, and doesn’t realise a figure is standing just beside him as he stands to full height once his shoes are back on. He jumps in surprise as he comes face to face with... Jongin, of course. The other doesn’t seem to mind his startled movement, and he’s smiling just as kindly as he had before. Kyungsoo can already feel himself smiling like an idiot again in response.

 

“I noticed you dancing today,” Jongin comments unexpectedly, reaching for his own bag as Kyungsoo stands there, confused. “You’re really talented, you know - especially if this is the first time you’ve come to an actual dance class before.”

 

“I...” He tries and fails to reply, and takes a moment to consider the situation. Kyungsoo made sure he’d stay toward the back of the class to ensure the best dancers wouldn’t see him butchering the performance.

 

“Wait, how did you see me dance?” He questions with a slight frown as Jongin stands beside him again, and Kyungsoo realises just how much shorter he is compared with the other man. On most occasions it’d make him angry, but this was obviously an exception.

 

“There are mirrors on the front wall,” Jongin’s tone is gentle as he points to the front of the room, and Kyungsoo almost slaps himself. Of _course_ there are mirrors. He’s been on display this whole time. There was never an escape.

 

_Damn._

“Right,” He mumbles, and Jongin looks a little concerned from the short reply. Kyungsoo realises he hadn’t really acknowledged the compliment, and stares back up at the dancer with wide eyes.

 

“But I mean, thank you. I really appreciate hearing that. Especially from you,” His tone is somewhat sheepish. “You’re an amazing dancer. You must have been doing this for years.”

 

Jongin laughs. Kyungsoo thinks it almost sounds a little shy, which is absolutely adorable. “Now _I_ really appreciate hearing _that_. I’ve been doing this since I was young. I began with ballet, and started attending this class to start learning some other styles.”

 

He hoists his bag over his shoulder, and Kyungsoo hopes it isn’t obvious when he mimics the move moments later. “But thanks. My dad should be waiting for me in the car by now - Are you heading that way, too?”

 

His head would come off if he were to nod any more enthusiastically than he did, but Kyungsoo is thankful that Jongin still gestures towards the door for them to leave together. After waving a brief goodbye to Yixing, Baekhyun and Minseok (Sehun had disappeared already... Kyungsoo wished he’d had a chance to speak with him, too, but that kid was _mysterious_ ), the duo exit room _X-09_ and head down the corridor.

 

The idle chatter along the way is nice, and Kyungsoo is reluctant to say goodbye once he reaches his own car. He makes a mental note to park further from the building next time to maximise the walk back with Jongin.

 

He smiles as he fastens his seat belt, and the drive home has never been so pleasant.

 

 

##

 

 

“Are you still coming to the gym with me today?”

 

Back in X-09, Baekhyun had been in the middle of frantically shoving stuff back into his bag. Water bottle, snacks, his change of clothes... Jongdae had been right when he said that he’d regret not buying a bigger sports bag, and the struggle to fit everything in was making him feel frustrated. Especially after all the exercised he’d already achieved in the last hour of dancing.

 

“Of course,” he huffs a little breathlessly, and pushes his upper body weight down on top of the bag in a final attempt to fit everything in. He manages to zip it up before anything has the chance to fall out again, and he finally spares his companion a glance, flashing him a bright smile.

 

Minseok simply looks bored.

 

“You take too long,” He grumbles, nudging Baekhyun with his foot before the other _finally_ gets to his feet, clutching the stuffed bag firmly. “I wanted to get there for 5, but that’s not gonna happen now.”

 

“Boo hoo,” Baekhyun teases, but they begin to walk briskly out of the building to reach the local gym as quickly as possible. Normally, Baekhyun doesn’t make this extra trip - dance is exercise plenty for him most weeks. But the chance to catch Minseok in gym attire and working on the machines always makes him take some time to reconsider.

 

This is one of the weeks where his body decides it isn’t fatigued enough to miss out on the view. Little does Minseok know he _is_ the view, because Baekhyun is great at hiding long term crushes that admittedly make him want to cry with frustration on the inside.

 

Nevertheless, he likes to torture himself and accompany Minseok to the gym, where he can see the other’s muscles, but never for too long, lest he get caught and scare his friend away. The two of them (and Jongdae) also tend to go on coffee dates together - except it’s obviously not an actual date, which Baekhyun would prefer, but he likes to imagine what it would be like to sit opposite Minseok in their local cafés and be able to hold his hand or gaze at him without reservation.

 

It’s unrealistic, but he can still dream.

 

Besides, Baekhyun also appreciates the friendship that they have now. And when they finally reach the gym, he does what any good friend would do and shoves Minseok aside to rush childishly into the locker room before him. The only response he gets is a tiny irritated huff, but as Baekhyun turns around to look at Minseok after reaching his locker, he notices the playful expression on his face and the slight shake of his head.

 

“Not much for running, are you?” Baekhyun hums playfully, opening the locker up and shoving his bag carelessly inside of it, grabbing his phone and his water bottle before he locks it shut. Minseok, in contrast, is sensible in the way he moves, and walks as any normal person would to his own locker beside him, rather than running excitedly down the narrow room like a five year old - like Baekhyun.

 

“Right here? No. On the treadmill? Of course.” Minseok counters, lightly cuffing the younger man around the head. “It’s not like you can criticise my activeness, anyway. You just come here to drink your weight in water and watch me do all the hard work instead.”

 

Baekhyun laughs. “You got me,” he admits, and waits whilst Minseok gets himself ready. “Watching you lift weights is exercise plenty.” 

 

Minseok could have easily questioned why Baekhyun even bothered tagging along to his gym sessions at that point if that were the case, but to his delight, no more is said about it, and Minseok is instead ushering him along into the fitness room and towards the weight sets at the back.

 

It’s quiet today, Baekhyun notes, and thought it’s unusual, it’s a welcome change. Most of the time its difficult to hold a conversation in there with the whirr of machines, the blare of music and the loud voices from other gym rats discussing their daily routines and other boring topics. Baekhyun can obviously shout over all of those to speak with his companion, but the problem lies with Minseok and his particularly soft voice; it easily gets lost among the common bustle. It means that today, he’ll take advantage of their rare opportunity to talk during the other’s workout.

 

“So,” Baekhyun begins, after Minseok has taken up a relatively small set of weights to warm-up with, settling down on one of the benches. Baekhyun decides his water bottle is heavy enough to substitute dumbbells of his own and drops down onto the bench beside the other man. “Why _didn’t_ Jongdae come to class today?”

 

“He’s sick,” Minseok frowns. He’s lifting the weight in his right hand easily as he continues, and Baekhyun is admittedly impressed by the lack of effort he needs to put into hoisting it up, even if it is lighter than what he’d normally go for. “Probably caught a virus when he was invited to give those school kids a singing lesson a couple of days ago.”

 

“Gross,” Baekhyun mutters, but he’s grinning at the thought of Jongdae complaining about everything and anything whilst bedridden with a cold. “I bet he’s a nightmare to live with like that. Are you his maid now?” He snickers, and Minseok lets out a breathy laugh as he replaces the weights with a heavier pair.

 

“I’m his maid when he’s _healthy_. In fact, I feel like I’m _your_ maid, too. I’m gonna start bossing the two of you around instead one day.” He laughs again at Baekhyun’s whine of protest. “Maybe that’ll teach you to appreciate me more.”

 

“I appreciate you already!” He blurts out, and it sounds a lot more enthusiastic and sincere than he’d anticipated. Minseok raises an eyebrow, and Baekhyun has to think on his feet to cover up his awkward blundering.

 

“...See, I am a loyal subject, sitting here patiently for hours as you pump iron, ready to deliver holy water to you when you need it most,” he bows his head dramatically, holding out his water bottle in front of Minseok.

 

_I’m a goddamn genius._

 

Minseok snorts at the eccentric act, but clearly sees this as nothing more than typical behaviour from the younger man. “You’re such an idiot sometimes,” is all he says, but Baekhyun is anything but offended, instead relieved that the cover-up actually worked. Clearly Minseok wasn’t all that bright himself - He’d been oblivious to Baekhyun’s feelings for _months_ now.

 

“Thanks,” is his only response, and the usual wide grin is back on Baekhyun’s face. His attention is eventually drawn to the wall-mounted TV in the corner of the room, but he can’t help glancing back to his companion every now and then, eyes fixated on the way Minseok’s biceps move when he lifts the progressively heavier dumbbells. He makes sure to not stare for too long, though - he can be pretty oblivious to these things most of the time, but Baekhyun isn’t willing to test out how much he can get away with before Minseok comments on his behaviour. Especially when there’s so much uncertainty about how he would react.

 

For once in his life, Baekhyun decides to just play safe.

 

 

##

 

 

Time passes by, and Minseok works his way around the apparatus in the room. From the weights, he moves onto an exercise bike, then a treadmill, before finally deciding to pick up a pair of boxing gloves and leading the two of them towards the punching bags. Baekhyun trails along closely behind him, obviously.

 

He’d grown bored of the TV over the course of the last hour, and had returned to his original plan of talking with Minseok through his workout. If it distracted him from the exercise he didn’t raise any complaints, so Baekhyun didn’t hesitate to unleash his inner thoughts and random musings aloud.

 

Amidst his ramblings, he recaps one particular topic that he’d meant to ask Minseok’s opinion on earlier - their dance group had a new member, after all.

 

“What do you think of Kyungsoo?” He asks thoughtfully, airily, as if Minseok wasn’t stood right next to him beating the shit out of a punching bag and Baekhyun wasn’t admiring the sight of his messy, swept back hair and the glisten of his skin.

 

At this point, he’s all out of water. Unfortunately, he’s still thirsty.

 

“Dunno,” Minseok shrugs, and Baekhyun assumes that’s the plain truth; he didn’t see the two of them speak to one another at all during the last two lessons. It probably hasn’t been long enough to form an accurate opinion of the newcomer just yet.

 

“He seems like a decent guy. A little quiet, perhaps, but I’m quiet too, so I can’t really judge.” He pauses to catch his breath from the vigorous exercise, leaning back against a pillar and throwing a quick look to Baekhyun. “Kind of adorable, too. Makes me wonder why you’re asking.” He winks, and Baekhyun could probably die happy there and then. He just hopes that there’s no visible blush on his cheeks when he does.

 

“I’m not asking for myself,” Baekhyun grunts, pouting a little. “Or for anyone, actually. I was just curious. It seems like he’s gonna stick around with us for good now. Could be interesting,” He waggles his eyebrows, and Minseok manages to smile between heavy breaths.

 

“Yeah, maybe. Jongdae seems to like him well enough. Although Jongdae gets along with everyone, so I’m not sure if that’s an accurate way to tell whether _we’d_ get on with him or not.”

 

It’s a small detail, but Baekhyun loves the way Minseok says ‘we’. He refers to the two of them collectively, as if the opinion on Kyungsoo would be shared by them both. It would, of course, but the word makes Baekhyun smile to himself nonetheless. Sometimes he questions where he stands between his two closest friends - Minseok and Jongdae are both room mates and childhood friends, whilst Baekhyun is neither to either of them. He appreciates hearing how close Minseok considers them to be, even if he himself doesn’t quite realise what affect it has on Baekhyun.

 

“Well, I asked him about himself today,” Baekhyun continues, absently playing with a strand of hair that hangs just above his eye. “He’s like a typical nerdy kid, I think. Studies law and everything. You’d wonder how he finds the time to dance taking a subject like that.”

 

Minseok hums thoughtfully. “Maybe he needs an escape from it now and then. Don’t you ever feel like that with work? Why else would you take dance lessons?”

 

“To hang out with you and Jongdae?” Baekhyun laughs, but there’s plenty of truth in his words. “I love my career. I never really get sick of the theatre, which is why I started taking extra classes in an art that’s so similar. But law?” He gestures wildly at nothing in particular with his hands, and Minseok smirks a little at the sight. “Sounds like a death wish on its own, let alone with another class on top.”

 

“We’ll have to ask him about it next time,” Minseok suggests, finally pulling the gloves off of his hands and casting them aside. He turns to Baekhyun, significantly sweatier than before, and pokes his tongue out at him playfully. “For now, let’s just go home. I need a shower and a full day of sleep after today.”

 

Baekhyun nods, and begins leading the duo out of the gym and back into the locker room. As he waits for Minseok to change, glancing at his phone to check the time, he closes his eyes and thinks to himself, tries not to let his mind drift back towards thoughts of the man standing nearby. He’s unsuccessful, and sighs at the prospect of spending the rest of his _life_ feeling like this.

 

‘ _You’ll have to approach him one day, Baekhyun_ ,’ he tells himself sternly as he presses his back against the cool wall of the changing room. ‘ _If you don’t say something, nothing will ever happen between the two of you._ ’

 

But there’s still something there, eating away at the back of his mind, warning him that perhaps that’s for the best. Perhaps saying nothing is the safest thing he can do.

 

Baekhyun says little during the trip home in Minseok’s car. He waves a goodbye once Minseok drops him off home, sends him a regular smile as the other drives back to his own home and back to Jongdae, and Baekhyun wonders if he’ll always feel this miserable for as long as he attends dance class.


End file.
